According to a report by ESPN’s Josina Anderson, former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson is contemplating the next step in his career and is set to make a formal decision in the next few weeks.
Peterson has not played in the NFL since stints with the Tennesee Titans and Seattle Seahawks during the 2021 season, and is set to turn 38 on Mar. 21.
While his career has taken a journeyman role in recent years with stops in Arizona, New Orleans, Detroit and Washington, most fans remember him with the team that drafted him seventh overall in the 2006 NFL Draft.
Peterson is regarded as one of the greatest running backs in the history of the NFL, running for 11,747 yards and 97 touchdowns over 10 seasons with the Vikings. His greatest season came in 2012 as he ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns while becoming the last non-quarterback to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award.
Peterson is also a four-team All-Pro selection, a three-time rushing champion and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice.
With teams looking to get younger and cheaper at running back, it’s possible that Peterson may not have a chance to sign with a team in the NFL. If retirement is not on his mind, it could lead Peterson to the XFL, which started its third iteration of the league last month, or the USFL, which kicks off its second season on April 15.
Whichever option Peterson chooses, it’s almost certain that a final destination will be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It’s just a matter of if Peterson wants to begin that waiting period now or wait another few years to make it to Canton.
